Stoppering device for bottles and the like.



G. WADE. STOPPERING DEVICE FDR BOTTLES AND THE UKE.

` APPLIDATION FILED M`AY12. T9l6- v I Patented 31111911, 1918.

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GEORGE WADE, 0F LONGPORT, ENGLAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented lune Il, 1min.

Application filed May 12, 1916. Serial 1T o. 97,196.

To all whom z' may concern.:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WADE, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at The Mount, Longport, in the county of Stafford, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Stoppering Devices for Bottles and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stoppering devices for preventing the fraudulent relling of bottles and the like of the type comprising a conical or inclined-walled recess or chamber wherein are arranged a valve adapted to seat over the mouth of the bottle or the like or a seat provided thereat, and a ball or other stop which coeacts with said valve and the inclined surfacev or wall of said recess or chamber in such a manner that, always seeking the lowest part of the surface or wall, it presses the valve on or against its seat even when the bottle or the like is tilted to some extent beyond the horizontal, and the bottle or the like must be tilted to some considerable extent beyond the horizontal before the ball or other stop will roll away from the valve and allow the latter to leave its seat and so open the bottle or the like.

In the known stoppering devices of the particular kind specified the conical or inclined-wall recess or chamber is formed by tapered ribs on the interior of an outer casing attached to the neck or mouth of the bottle or the like, or is formed in a plug or race located in either the neck of the bottle or the like or an outer casing as aforesaid, and having its depending rim or wall which incloses the recess or chamber and also the valve and stop, cut away to form passages for the egress of liquid and ingress of air during ouring, and supporting legs.

Y, The object of the present invention is to insure a morefready and effectual operation of the stop to close the valve on or against its seat in the event` of an .attempt being made to refill the bottle or the like when tilted to or slightly beyond the horizontal.

According to this invention I combine with the valve-operating ball or other stop aforesaid a second stop or member arranged in a separate recess or chamber communieating with the conical or inclined-walled recess or chamber by means of an aperture or passage through which said second stop or member is vadapted to co-act with the valve-operating ball or other stop and cause it to act on and close the valve, or quicken such operation.

A I will fully describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure lis a central vertical section of one form of stoppering device embodying my improvements tted in position. Fig. 2 is an underside plan of the outer casing and Fig. 8 a section of the harbor or race hereinafter more particularly referred to. Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views to Fig. l showing the bottle tilted considerably beyond the horizontal for pouring the contents and slightly beyond the horizontal respectively. H Fig. 6 is a like view to Fig. 1 illustrating a modied arrangement.

Referring rst to Figs. l to 5 of the drawing the stoppering device illustrated comprises, as hitherto, an outer casing a provided with a pouring aperture b and secured to the neck of the bottle c by a metallic capsule d and containing a harbor or race e provided with a conical recess f in which are arranged a disk valve g adapted to close against a seat 71; at or in the mouth of the bottle neck, and a stop j. lIhe stop j is preferably of frusto-conical shape or form and itsbase and top may be flat or plain as shown, or convex or spherical. The periphery of the face of the disk valve g remote from the seat k is preferably rounded or beveled as at Zz. The depending rim or wall of the harbor or race e which incloses the conical recess 7c is out away to provide passages m for the egress of the liquid and the ingress of air to displace the same during pouring, and supporting legs n which may be provided with feet o to engage recesses or an annular groove or recess p in the wall of the outer casing a.

Instead of, however, the top or upper end of the harbor or race e being closed as hitherto, I provide thereat a chamber 7 which communicates by means of an aperture g with the conical recess f. The apex of the stop j is adapted to project through the aperture g into the chamber 1 in which I arrange a second stop s adapted to co-act with the stop j as hereinafter explained. This second stop s is preferably in the form of art of a solid or hollow sphere arranged with its convexsurface toward the aperture g or is otherwise weighted so that it falls or tends to fall toward the aperture until the bottle has been tilted to some considerable extent beyond the horizontal.

Around the inner end erture Z) of the outer casing a 1 provide radial ribs t against which the top or upper end of the harbor or race e bears and which constitute between them radial liquid egress and air ingress passag'es.

When the bottle is filled in the first instance and the stoppering device fitted by spinning the capsule Z on the neck in the usual way, the pouring aperture b is closed by a cork (not shown) the inner endof which preferably bears on the stop s which in turn bears on the stop j and causes the latter to press the valve g tightly on its seat L thus preventing any of the contents from entering the casing a during handling of the bottle, storage or transit, and coming into contact with the cork and becoming Corky.

lDecanting of the liquid is effected by tilting the bottle to some considerable extent beyond the horizontal as shown in Fig. 4C. When the bottle is so tilted the stop s falls away from vthe passage g against the radial ribs t aforesaid, and permits the conical stop y' in the conical recess j to fall forward away from the fvalve g so that its apex projects through said passage Q, thus allowing the valve g to tilt or fall from its seat 7a to open the bottle and enable the contents to escape of the passages m in the -rim or wall of the harbor or race e, the usual annular space a between the latter and the outer ceasing a, the radial passages between the ribs t and the pouring outlet b.

1f, while the bottle is held in the pouring position, an attempt be made to refill it, the entering liquidy acting on the stop s will raise the same or cause it to seat against the passage g in the top of the harbor or race c and operate the stop y' in the conical recess therein to close the valve g and prevent the liquid entering the bottle. Further, in-such a position the air confined in the bottle cannot escape `and if liquid be introduced so gently that it does `not raise or move the stop s onlya very small quantity could be got into the bottle and, therefore, the bottle is, for practical. purposes, non-relillable.

An attempt to refill the bottle in any other position than tilted to some considerable eX- tent beyond the horizontal, sayl when held horizontal or tilted to some extent beyond the horizontal as shown in Fig. 5, `would be rendered futile by the closing of the valve g against its seat h by the stop j sliding down the inclined surface ofthe recess f in the harbor orrace c. 1n such attempts the stop s will immediately fall toward the passage of the pouring apq and act on the apex.Y of the stop j projecting therethrough to overcome inertia and set the stop j in action. rlhe stop s thus quickens the action of the stop j and renders it more sensitive.

1n addition to serving as a means for msuring the action of the stop y' the stop s also closes the passage g when an attempt 1s made to refill the'bottle, and acts as a baflie to prevent manipulation of the valve g and its co-acting stop by means of a wire passed through the pouring aperture hin the outer casing a.

l wish it to be understood that l do not` limit myself to the particular'forms of the stops j and 3,1101' to the particularf formation of the conical or inclined-walled recess or chamber above described, Aas said stops and recess or chamber may be of any other suitable forms and formations. For eX- ample, the recess or chamber together with the passages m, aperture Q and chamber i" may be formed. by a tapered surface provided with passages, 0r by tapered ribs on the interior of the body of the outer casing a and, in some cases, an apertured'partition `or the like.

1n the modified arrangement illustrated in Fig. l(3 the outer casing a aforesaid is dispensed with and the harbor or race e, valve g, seat h `and stops j and 8 are arranged 1nside the neck of the bottle the rmouth of which" is fitted with a retaining cap a1 se.-` cured by acapsule d and provided with a pouring aperture t and radial ribs t around the inner end of the latter. Urllhe seat h rests on an annular ledge or shoulder a and is packed by a cork or other washer r1`he outer casing e, or cap al, and the harbor orrace e, valve g, seat h, andstops jand s, are preferably made of porcelain or the like, but may be of any other suitable material. j j j j The outer casing and seat t maybe connected together so thatthe stoppering device is self-contained. When of porcelain or the like they may be connected by coating their contacting surfaces with glaze or other suitable cementand then firing. When the parts are made oflother material they maybe connected in any other suitable way. The spigot portion of the seat t (Figs. 1 l and 5) maybe provided with a corksleeve or washer to make a tight joint aroundthe inside of or within the neck of the bottle similarly to the sleeve or washer ai, Fig. 6.

W'hat 1V claim asiny invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentisz-f l. A bottle stopperingdevice comprising the combination of an outer casing having an upper pouring aperture and radial ribs adjacent thereto, means for securing the casing to a bottle, a valve seatdisposed adjacent the bottom of the casing, `a valve cage disposed in the outer casing between the pourian ing aperture and the valve seat and provided with an upper chamber and a lower conical chamber, said chambers communicating with each other, a hemispherical stop disposed in the upper chamber, a conical stop disposed in the lower chamber and arranged to project into the upper chamber and abut the hemispherical stop when the device is inverted, and a valve disposed between the valve seat and the conical stop.

2. A bottle stoppering device comprising the combination of an outer casing having an upper pouring aperture and radial ribs adjacent thereto, means for securing the casing to a bottle, a valve seat disposed adjacent the bottom of the casing, a valve cage disposed in the outer casing between the pouring aperture and the valve seat and provided with an upper chamber and a lower conical chamber, said chambers communieating with each other, a hemispherical stop disposed in the upper stop disposed in the lower chamber and arranged to project into the upper chamber and abut the hemispherical stop when the chamber, a conical device is inverted and being provided with a rounded lower end. j i

3. A bottle stoppering device comprising the combination of an apertured pouring element provided with radial ribs, a valve cage disposed below the pouring element and provided with an upper chamber and a conical lower chamber communicating with each other, a rounded stop disposed in the upper chamber, a conical stop arranged in the lower chamber and adapted to project into the upper chamber and abut the first named stop, a valve disposed in the lower chamber beneath the conical stop, a valve seat disposed beneath the valve, and means for securing the pouring element in the neck 0f a bottle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE WADE.

Witnesses:

EDMUND WARD PATTIsoN, HAROLD WALKER.

Copies of this patent :may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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